<center><b>April 18: Athletics 11, Astros 3</center></b>
Jarred Cosart (48) walks off the mound after being removed from the game in the first inning.

<center><b>April 18: Athletics 11, Astros 3</center></b>
Jarred Cosart (48) walks off the mound after being removed from the game in the first inning.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Paul Clemens.

Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Paul Clemens.

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

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Paul Clemens pitches against.

Paul Clemens pitches against.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Sonny Gray works against the Astros.

Sonny Gray works against the Astros.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Chris Carter swings for an sac fly off Sonny Gray.

Chris Carter swings for an sac fly off Sonny Gray.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Jarred Cosart, right, walks to the mound as Alberto Callaspo, left, runs the bases after Callaspo hit a three-run home run.

Jarred Cosart, right, walks to the mound as Alberto Callaspo, left, runs the bases after Callaspo hit a three-run home run.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Jonathan Villar is congratulated after scoring.

Jonathan Villar is congratulated after scoring.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Jed Lowrie (8) congratulates Josh Donaldson after both scored on a single by Yoenis Cespedes.

Jed Lowrie (8) congratulates Josh Donaldson after both scored on a single by Yoenis Cespedes.

Photo: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart sits in the dugout after being relieved.

Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart sits in the dugout after being relieved.

Photo: JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Alberto Callaspo is congratulated by Brandon Moss (37) after Callaspo connected for a three-run home run.

Alberto Callaspo is congratulated by Brandon Moss (37) after Callaspo connected for a three-run home run.

Photo: JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Astros drop seventh straight as A's sweep three-game series

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OAKLAND, Calif. — George Springer isn’t Bugs Bunny, even if he makes cartoon catches. He can’t bat everywhere in the lineup, and Jon Singleton won’t be able to either, whenever he gets here.

If the Astros don’t seem improved from this time a year ago, your box scores aren’t lying to you. The ‘Stros were swept for a second straight three-game series Sunday, falling 4-1 to the A’s.

Held to just five hits, the Astros boarded a plane for Seattle with seven straight losses and an offense that’s proven harder to jumpstart than the Ford Pinto you drove when you were 17.

“We have an underperforming team right now,” manager Bo Porter said. “When you underperform, you make the mistakes that we make, (this is) going to be the result.”

Jesse Chavez, who dominated the Astros when he was a reliever to the tune of a 0.90, held the Astros to four hits in a six-inning start. The small righty struck out six as the A’s moved to 13-5, the best record in the American League.

The A’s are a great team, and the Astros haven’t had an easy opponent yet. But a trial-by-fire was expected in the American League West. Everyone knew that.

Catcher Jason Castro said he would have been surprised had he also known the team would start 5-14 — the exact record held through 19 games last season.

Roughly one-eighth of the season will be finished after the Astros play their 20th game Monday in Seattle. The pitcher they need to try to rebound against? King Felix Hernandez.

“I think we’re definitely an improved team this year, and we’ll show it,” Castro said. “It’s still early. So, we’re not worried obviously. We’re just going about business the way we know how to and keep doing our work. We’ll start turning the tides here shortly.”

The ‘Stros have seen great pitching, but they’re also wanderers at the plate.

The only run the Astros scored Sunday came on a solo home run from Marwin Gonzalez in the fourth inning, to right field. Gonzalez spelled Matt Dominguez with a start at third base.

There does remain an element of bad luck. The Astros have, by far, the lowest batting average on balls in play. They came into the day at .233, trailing the next closest team by 35 points.

But to think that the worst offense in the majors has been powered solely by bad luck would be stubborn. Screaming liners aren’t being magnetically drawn into opponents’ gloves.

“Hitting with men in scoring position,” Porter said. “You have to be able to use the whole field. And again, when you get a pitch in those situations, you can’t miss it. You can’t foul it off, you can’t take it and you can’t swing and miss.”

The Astros were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base Sunday.

If one includes the 15-game losing streak they ended 2013 with, the Astros have 5 wins in their last 34 games.

“You feel for (the hitters),” hitting coach John Mallee said at the start of this series. “They work so hard together and spend so much time together, obviously everybody wants them to be successful and there’s a lot of stress involved for us (the coaches). And not because it looks bad on us as a staff, but you feel for them. They’re really good players. Average is an accumulation of numbers over time. It’s a small sample size here.”

The bright spot is the phenom Springer, who has a five-game hit streak to start his major league career. He charged the right-field foul line and robbed Coco Crisp of a bloop hit with a full-out dive to begin the bottom of the first inning.

Jose Altuve, who walked, doubled and stole his eighth bag of the season, deserves better too.

Righty Brad Peacock’s first turn in the Astros rotation as Lucas Harrell’s replacement was also encouraging. He was pulled after 83 pitches — limited because he was transitioning from a relief role — and the two runs he allowed came on Josh Donaldson’s two-run homer in the first inning.

“The slider and the curveball, I was able to throw them for strikes — and for balls when I wanted,” said Peacock, who will remain in the rotation.

But the Astros never held a lead. Donaldson brought home one of the two runs the A’s scored in the seventh inning against Jerome Williams with another line drive to left, this time a double.

The expectation, at least outside of the Astros dugout, has quickly become that the Astros won’t find the big hit.

When Springer reached second on a fielding error to start the eighth inning, Jesus Guzman and Chris Carter followed with strikeouts. Carter just missed a home run to left early in the game, but he’s batting .123.

“He’s getting beat a little bit,” Mallee said of his work with Carter. “Just getting him on time and the pitch that he’s looking for.”

With two in scoring position for Castro in the seventh inning, the lefty swinger hit an inning-ending fly out against southpaw Sean Doolittle. Castro is 1-for-15 against southpaw pitching.

“It’s obviously tough,” Castro said generally. “It’s frustrating. We’re close, we’re getting guys on, and we just need to get those timely hits. That’s all it comes down to.”